Daily Archives: August 16, 2023

Our Daily Bread

Our Daily Bread — The Power of Persistence

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Bible in a Year:

They should always pray and not give up.

Luke 18:1

Today’s Scripture & Insight:

Luke 18:1–8

In 1917, a young seamstress was thrilled to get admitted to one of New York City’s most renowned fashion design schools. But when Ann Lowe Cone arrived from Florida to register for classes, the school director told her she wasn’t welcome. “To be blunt, Mrs. Cone, we didn’t know that you were a Negro,” he said. Refusing to leave, she whispered a prayer: Please let me stay here. Seeing her persistence, the director let Ann stay, but segregated her from the whites-only classroom leaving the back door open “for [her] to hear.”

Undeniably talented, Ann still graduated six months early and attracted high-society clients including former First Lady of the United States Jacqueline Kennedy, whose world-famous wedding gown she designed. She made the gown twice, seeking God’s help after a pipe burst above her sewing studio, ruining the first dress.

Persistence like that is powerful, especially in prayer. In Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow, a widow pleads repeatedly for justice from a corrupt judge. At first, he refused her, but “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice” (Luke 18:5).

With far more love, “will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” (v. 7). He will, said Jesus (v. 8). As He inspires us, let’s seek to persistently pray and never give up. In His time and perfect way, God will answer.

By:  Patricia Raybon

Reflect & Pray

What helps you to be persistent in prayer? What request will you keep pleading?

Dear Jesus, I thank You for answering my persistent prayers.

http://www.odb.org

John MacArthur

Grace to You; John MacArthur – Exalting Others

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“Love does not brag” (1 Cor. 13:4).

Love exalts others; pride exalts self.

Most of us shy away from people who have an inflated view of themselves or place themselves at the center of every conversation. Yet perhaps you too struggle with the temptation to spend most of your conversations talking about yourself. Even if you would never openly brag about yourself, might you at times secretly resent others for not acknowledging your accomplishments? That’s the subtlety of pride.

Boasting always violates love because it seeks to exalt itself at the expense of others—to make itself look good while making others look inferior. It incites jealousy and other sins. Sadly, boasting exists even in the church. That’s why Paul exhorted us not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, “but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith” (Rom. 12:3). The context of that statement is spiritual gifts, which can lead to pride if not governed by humility and love.

The Corinthians were spiritual show-offs—each vying for attention and prominence. Consequently their worship services were chaotic. First Corinthians 14:26 says, “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.” Apparently they all were expressing their spiritual gifts at the same time with no regard for anyone else. That’s why Paul concluded, “Let all things be done for edification.”

Their lack of love was obvious because people who truly love others don’t exalt themselves. They regard others as more important than themselves, just as Christ did when He humbled Himself and died for our sins (Phil. 2:3-8).

Boasting about our spiritual gifts is absurd because we did nothing to earn them. They don’t reflect our capabilities; they reflect God’s grace. That’s why Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? But if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). That applies to physical capabilities as well as spiritual enablements. Everything you have is a gift from God. Therefore, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Cor. 1:31).

Suggestions for Prayer

  • Each day acknowledge your total dependence on God’s grace.
  • Praise Him for the gifts He has entrusted to you.

For Further Study

Note what God has to say about haughtiness in Proverbs 6:16-17; 16:18; 18:12; 21:3-4; and 21:24.

From Drawing Near by John MacArthur 

http://www.gty.org/

Joyce Meyer

Joyce Meyer – We Will Reap What We Sow

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Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.

— Psalm 96:13 (NIV)

Words, thoughts, and actions are seeds we sow, and they eventually bring a harvest in our lives. God’s Word teaches us that we will reap what we have sown (see Galatians 6:7). The day will come when God will judge the earth, and His judgment will be righteous. On that day, we will all have to give an account of what we have done (see Romans 14:12).

Those who believe in Jesus Christ and have received Him as Savior and Lord will not be judged in terms of whether or not they will go to heaven, but they will be judged and rewarded accordingly for their works. However, those who have rejected Jesus during their lifetime will be facing a very different kind of judgment. They have spent their lives doing as they please, and on Judgment Day, they will reap the results of what they have sown.

Those who believe in Christ look forward to that day. They rejoice to see it come, but unbelievers will not rejoice. On that day, they will regret their decision to reject Jesus during their lifetime. Let us pray daily for those who have rejected Jesus, that they might be saved and spend eternity with Him.

Prayer of the Day: Father, I pray for all those who have rejected Jesus as their Savior and have walked in their own will instead of following You. I pray they will believe and receive Jesus before it is too late. Send the perfect laborer into their path to speak a timely word to them.

http://www.joycemeyer.org

Alistair Begg

Truth for Life; Alistair Begg – Sweet Ebenezers

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Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, “Thus says the Lord of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel. And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.”

2 Samuel 7:8-9

Reminders are vitally important. Again and again in the Scriptures, the word of God to His people is essentially that of Deuteronomy 6:12 and 8:11: “Take care lest you forget the LORD.” When we fail to remember, our hearts go astray.

When King David and the kingdom of Israel were at rest, David had proposed to build a house for God—a finer place for the ark of the covenant to dwell than in a humble tent (2 Samuel 7:1-2). But David’s ideas weren’t part of God’s plan (v 6). So instead of leaving David to think about what he might do for God, God sent the prophet Nathan to remind David of what God had done for him—and to reveal what God intended yet to do.

God had taken David from lowly shepherd to exalted king. That wasn’t something that David himself had initiated; God had. Everywhere David had been, God had been with him. His enemies were now scattered and David was at rest because God’s hand had been on him. David was being reminded, as he sat on the throne, of how far he had come from the field—and who had brought him so far. And in being reminded of this, he was also being assured that God would continue to lead him on. God had begun the process—and when God commits Himself to someone, He brings to completion the good work that He has begun (Philippians 1:6).

In a sense, David was being given an “Ebenezer moment”: a reminder that God helps His people. Years previously, the prophet Samuel had given all the people a similar moment when he raised up a stone to remind them of the victories God had given Israel. He “called its name Ebenezer; for he said, ‘Till now the LORD has helped us’” (1 Samuel 7:12).

Be careful not to forget how God has helped you. Take time today to remember and reflect on the purposes to which He has called you, His presence along the way, and the ways in which He has rescued and protected you. For as you do so, you will be reminded that the God who has helped you this far will assuredly continue to help you today and every day as He works to bring His good purposes to completion.

His love in time past forbids me to think

He’ll leave me at last in trouble to sink;

Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review

Confirms His good pleasure to help me quite through.[1]

Questions for Thought

How is God calling me to think differently?

How is God reordering my heart’s affections — what I love?

What is God calling me to do as I go about my day today?

Further Reading

1 Samuel 7:3-17

Topics: Character of God Faithfulness of God Promises of God

FOOTNOTES

1 John Newton, “Begone Unbelief” (1779).

Devotional material is taken from the Truth For Life daily devotionals by Alistair Begg

http://www.truthforlife.org

Kids 4 Truth

Kids4Truth Clubs Daily Devotional – God Provides All We Need

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“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

As the family went to bed in their spacious old farmhouse, all was well. They were grateful for what God had provided and felt safe and secure. But in the middle of the night, the parents were awakened by the sound of…was that wind? No! That was fire!

They jumped out of bed and ran to wake up their boys, who were in their bunk beds upstairs. The boys climbed out their window and got safely to the ground.

The boys and their parents watched as 12 fire trucks tried in vain to save their house. They watched as the roof caved in and the walls crumbled. They watched and cried as everything they owned burned up. Photos, furniture, toys, computers – everything was gone but their family.

As they thought about all that they had lost, they realized that all the things they had lost were just things – things that would have eventually worn out or gotten broken or been lost. Then they thought about what they had not lost: each other. God had helped each of them to get out of the burning house. They praised God that they had not lost each other and that they still had the most precious gift they had received: their salvation.

Have you been dreaming about some new “thing”? Maybe a cool toy, a faster computer, or a new electronic game?

What do we really need? Let’s see…. We need food, clothing, and a place to live. Who provides these needs? You might say, “My parents work hard to provide the money to purchase the things we need.” But Who gives your parents the strength, wisdom, health, and knowledge to do their jobs? God does. He provides the jobs, too.

What else does God give? Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” God also gives us salvation if we trust in Him alone.

God provides everything I need.

My Response:
» What do I really need?
» Am I trusting God completely to meet all of my needs?
» Have I accepted God’s gift of salvation?

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Denison Forum

Denison Forum – Parents sue Maryland school district over LGBTQ lessons

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As the death toll continues to rise in Maui with at least a thousand people unaccounted for, some of the survivors’ stories are beyond horrific. Meanwhile, officials are warning that airborne pollutants created by the wildfires remain in areas devastated by the conflagration and are dangerous to humans. Toxic particles from burning homes, pipes, propane tanks, and cars can contaminate the water system and can affect the lungs, eyes, and skin.

In other words, what you cannot see can be as dangerous as what you can.

For example, unless you live in Montgomery County, Maryland (just north of Washington, DC), you may not know about a lawsuit being brought by parents seeking to shield their children from sexual LGBTQ materials. Parents from Christian, Muslim, and Jewish backgrounds have rallied together and are accusing the school district of denying them the right to determine the religious education of their children.

Books at the center of the dispute are for Pre-K and elementary-school levels. Two of the objectionable books are Pride Puppy, a “queer-centric alphabet book,” and Uncle Bobby’s Wedding, in which a girl’s uncle marries his boyfriend. Both illustrate the ongoing quest to normalize LGBTQ behavior starting with our youngest children. The superintendent and school board chose not to notify parents or allow them to opt their children out of these and other LGBTQ materials in class.

Then there’s Austin, Texas, where the school district encouraged staff, students, and their families to attend the annual Austin Pride Parade last Saturday. The district provided free shuttles to the event and recommended that students and their families wear “pride costumes and rainbow colors.”

Culture wars know no bounds

Does the incessant drumbeat of cultural opposition to biblical morality discourage you? It does me. Since I don’t live in Maryland or Austin, I’m tempted to ignore these stories. But that would be like ignoring the ongoing tragedy in Lahaina just because I don’t live on Maui.

Not to mention the fact that the culture wars know no geographical boundaries. For example, activists want to normalize and legalize LGBTQ behavior across the country while stigmatizing and criminalizing opposition wherever it exists. This is why Christians need a way to resist our secularized, anti-Christian culture while impacting our nation with God’s redeeming love and unchanging truth.

The key to both is found in a commitment that is transformative for our souls and empowering for our witness.

On Monday we explored the contrast between a religion about God and a relationship with him, noting that the latter is God’s intention for each of us. We are each called to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30), a foundational commandment Jesus considered essential to all the rest.

Today, let’s take a step further: there is a difference between loving God and being in love with him.

“I seek not a long life, but a full one”

Those who commit adultery or view pornography may say they love their spouse, but they cannot be in love with them while doing so. I may love my friend, but I cannot be in love with him while deceiving him.

This is one way Christianity is different from all other world religions: we can have a personal, intimate relationship with our Lord as if he were a living person, because he is. What’s more, his Spirit lives in us to guide and empower us in this relationship.

It is as if your spouse were living inside your body and helping you to love them today.

Such passionate, personal intimacy with Jesus explains Paul’s sacrificial zeal to know Christ and make him known at all costs (Philippians 3:10). It explains John’s worship on Patmos sixty years after his best friend returned to heaven (Revelation 1:10). It explains martyred missionary Jim Elliot’s prayer, “Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.” And his famous testimony: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Such passion for Jesus empowers us to stand boldly yet compassionately for his word and will. It transforms us in ways that attract our lost culture to our Lord. It is the key to living victoriously in this dark season in human history.

“What an immeasurably profound love!”

How can you and I be more in love with Jesus today than ever before?

First, ask the Holy Spirit to manifest love for Christ in your heart. Since love is a “fruit” of the Spirit, it is most powerfully produced by him (Galatians 5:22).

Second, do what love does. Love is a commitment before it is an emotion. Nowhere does the Bible describe how it feels to be in love with Jesus, but all through the New Testament we are told what we will do when we love him passionately: we will obey his word (John 14:15), pray with thanksgiving daily (1 Thessalonians 5:17–19), love others (1 John 4:7), and serve them sacrificially (John 15:13).

Third, remember Jesus’ sacrificial love for you. St. Catherine of Siena (1347–80) prayed: “Moved by love and wishing to reconcile the human race to yourself, you gave us your only-begotten Son. He became our mediator and our justice by taking on all our injustice and sin out of obedience to your will, eternal Father, just as you willed that he take on our human nature.

“What an immeasurably profound love! Your Son went down from the heights of his divinity to the depths of our humanity. Can anyone’s heart remain closed and hardened after this?”

What about yours today?

Denison Forum

John Hagee

Hagee Ministries; John Hagee – Daily Devotion

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1 Peter 2:15

For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men…

What is God’s perfect will for my life? Many believers anxiously seek the answer to that question and worry that they might somehow miss it.

This simple truth frees us: when we fulfill the general will of God, He will show us the specific will He has for each of us. While some of our Bible heroes experienced dramatic moments of illumination, God’s will is more often a gradual revelation as we walk in obedience.

Consider Peter and John in Acts 3. They were fulfilling the general will of God as they went to join other believers for worship and prayer. As they strolled through the temple gate, though, God drew their attention to the lame man begging for alms. He sent them on a specific, special assignment that would forever change one man’s life.

God’s general will for us is to give thanks in every situation, to pray without ceasing, to hide His Word in our hearts, to fast before the Father, and to live worthy of our holy calling. This is the preparation, the training ground, for the specific will of God.

As we walk in His general will, we can expect divine detours as God reveals His specific will one step at a time. Every day becomes a grand adventure! What extraordinary exploit has He written on today’s calendar?

Blessing: 

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you and give you His peace. May you be faithful in the small things every day, so that you are prepared for the next bigger thing that God has in mind. Be ready for divine detours and amazing adventures with Him at all times! Miracles will follow those who believe in the name of Jesus… Amen.

Today’s Bible Reading: 

Old Testament

Nehemiah 9:22-10:39

New Testament 

1 Corinthians 9:20-10:14

Psalms & Proverbs

Psalm 34:1-10

Proverbs 21:13

https://www.jhm.org

Turning Point

Turning Point; David Jeremiah – Prayers in the Night

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When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
Psalm 63:6

 Recommended Reading: Psalm 4:4-5

The “night watches”—those hours we spend in bed during the night—can be fertile soil for seeds of worry. In Psalm 63, we find David describing his “night watch” practice: meditating on God. And this he did during one of the most tumultuous, heart-wrenching times of his life. 

King David’s son Absalom wanted to unseat his father from the throne (2 Samuel 17:1-4) When word reached David that Absalom’s army was approaching Jerusalem, David gathered his loyal courtiers and commanders, and their families, and they left Jerusalem. As he fled Jerusalem, David was cursed by those loyal to Absalom. Crossing the Kidron Valley, they ascended the Mount of Olives. From there they headed into the Judean wilderness to seek refuge and make plans. (See the title inscription for Psalm 63: “A Psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.”) David organized his troops and engaged the army of Absalom, and his son was killed. 

Can you imagine the worry and heartache David experienced during those days? Yet on his bed, he turned his thoughts to God and meditated on Him. Use the quiet hours of the night to commit your concerns to God in prayer.

Faith can place a candle in the darkest night.
Margaret E. Sangster

https://www.davidjeremiah.org

Greg Laurie

Harvest Ministries; Greg Laurie – The Battle We’ll Always Lose

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LORD, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. 

—Isaiah 26:8

Scripture:

Isaiah 26:8 

Vance Havner wrote, “You can’t break the law of God. Nobody ever broke the law of God. You break yourself against the law of God.

He was right. We cannot break the law of God, but we will break ourselves against it.

How we need God’s commandments today, and how we need to follow them. We can either accept the truths of His commands or fight against them and reap the inevitable results. It’s our choice: we can do it the easy way or the hard way.

We can buck against God’s truths, say they don’t apply to us, and live the way that we want to live. Or, we can see God’s wisdom in giving us His commandments.

In the Old Testament we read about King Solomon, who went on a sinful binge. He rebelled against the truth he had learned from God and decided to sample just about everything the world had to offer.

And having almost unlimited resources, Solomon could build any building he wanted, have any woman his heart desired, and experience any pleasure he chose to experience. Yet after he did all the things that he wanted to do, he said that it was all emptiness, like chasing the wind.

He wrote, “Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty” (Ecclesiastes 12:13 NLT). Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, was saying, “Here’s what I’ve learned in life. Don’t fight against the laws of God. They were given to us for a reason.”

Someone might say, “Well, Solomon didn’t know what he was talking about. I’ll find out for myself.” You can go ahead and find out for yourself, of course, but it is much easier to do it God’s way.

In His commandments, God has given us the blueprint for a fulfilled life. He has given us the blueprint for happiness.

Harvest.org | Greg Laurie